Margaret Mead

"Thinking, the talking of the soul with itself."

Plato

"An unexamined life is not worth living."

Socrates

Inquiry is an art—an art that involves generating questions and new ideas through reflection and dialogue.

The art of thinking and inquiring can have a great impact on the lives of children and adults. Thinking for oneself in today’s society that is changing faster than ever is not easy. It needs our children and youth to think, reflect, and reason better and communicate across differences when exposed to a range of different perspectives.

The purpose of this website is to empower children and youth to develop their higher order thinking—that is, their critical, creative, caring, and collaborative thinking skills—through “Inquiry” programs and services. Parents, teachers, and educators are the pivot points of this empowerment. Inquiry with children (and adults) encourage them to think critically, reason better, see things from multiple perspectives, and develop social responsibility. It involves children in an open ‘dialogue’ to generate knowledge, explore questions about meaning and value of life, and reflect on what kind of society and citizens they hope to form or to be.

“Asking good questions is an art; children are the masters of this art.” ~ Dr. Mahboubeh Asgari

Dr. Mahboubeh Asgari, the Founder/Owner of the School of Inquiry, has created the inquiry programs based on her extensive teaching experience, educational research, and her passion for promoting Philosophical Inquiry among children, youth, and adults. Her hope is that inquiry and dialogue become part of everybody’s life and a way of living and thinking in the world. To learn more, read her resume here.

This website is for you if you can resonate with at least one of the following statements:

you have a passion for thinking and questioning;

you want children to acquire the tools and communicative practices to think for themselves;

It is important for you to help children and youth become better thinkers, decision-makers, and citizens

What others say about us!

“My daughter has taken part in Mahboubeh’s philosophical inquiry classes for a few years now, and they have become a mainstay of her educational experience, carrying over into many other parts of her life and schoolwork. Mahboubeh is an exceptional teacher. She has empathy, insight and a deep respect for children’s perspectives and opinions. Her classes are a safe and inspiring place of learning, dialogue and the art of thinking.”

Antoinette

“My son and two daughters have had the special privilege of taking classes with Mahboubeh – a gifted teacher who truly respects and appreciates the unique perspective of children. She creates a safe place of inquiry, dialogue and introspection, where students are able to make connections between literature, art, philosophy and their own lives. This is a unique venue for learning and growth. I can’t recommend it highly enough – for children and adults alike.”

Gloria

“Consider the impact if our children, and we ourselves, were to become fluent in the practice of giving voice to our minds and engaged listening to the thoughts of others. My two sons have had the opportunity to travel this journey with Mahboubeh [the Founder of the School of Inquiry] in Philosophical Inquiry over the last number of years. Their journey has inspired me to open up in new ways as well. I feel she is helping equip them with lifelong skills that connect them to their fellow humans and enrich their own lives. What a gift.”

Angela

Mahboubeh is a wonderful mentor for both our boys, Thomas and Jack. Always attentive and thoughtful towards her students, our boys and our family together consider her both a fine educator and dear friend.
Her kindness and generosity towards our boys are truly gifts from the heart. And our boys can feel it too. At the start of every school year, our boys always make a point in requesting that we continue with Mahboubeh and her wonderfully inspiring philosophy classes for children.

The stories and art that she shares with my boys have opened them up to not only the wonders of their individual selves and the world around them, but especially how very complex life’s questions can be. Rather than only initiating questions and providing answers, Mahboubeh inspires them to ask the questions themselves and to come up with their own personal opinions and thoughts. Her openness towards both Thomas and Jack shows us just how much she honours and respects young minds and young hearts.

Mahboubeh’s caringness towards her students extends to their families as well. She always makes time to talk to me about my children, and to share her own joyful observations and interactions with them. I truly treasure what she shares with me. As a parent, I have had the pleasure in getting to know her both inside and outside of the classroom.

http://schoolofinquiry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/logo.png00adminhttp://schoolofinquiry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/logo.pngadmin2016-12-29 19:25:102016-12-29 19:38:30Cover Story of the Point Grey Living magazine!:)

http://schoolofinquiry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/logo.png00adminhttp://schoolofinquiry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/logo.pngadmin2016-11-24 16:33:472016-11-24 16:36:19Halloween at The School of Inquiry!

http://schoolofinquiry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/logo.png00adminhttp://schoolofinquiry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/logo.pngadmin2016-09-25 05:56:592016-09-25 06:06:35The School of Inquiry & the Point Grey Village Outdoor Market

http://schoolofinquiry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/logo.png00adminhttp://schoolofinquiry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/logo.pngadmin2016-07-21 22:52:032016-07-21 22:54:30The School of Inquiry is open now!

http://schoolofinquiry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/logo.png00adminhttp://schoolofinquiry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/logo.pngadmin2016-05-16 01:58:512016-05-16 02:08:53Young People and Drugs: Engaging Families and Communities in the Conversation.